Huntingburg — According to a study released on Tuesday, the Huntingburg (Regional) Airport (Facebook Page and Website here) contributes $522,026,882 in economic output and creates and sustains 2,749.2 jobs with a payroll of $147,266,294 in Dubois County, underscoring the vital role airports play in the economic vitality of local communities and the state of Indiana.

“Many local businesses (Kimball, Best-Home Furnishings, MasterBrand, OFS Brands and Jasper Engines & Transmissions) and residents rely on the state’s robust airport network to move products, conduct business travel and bring travelers in and out of our community,” said Michael Cummings. “The Huntingburg Airport provides a lifeline to a global marketplace as well as to neighboring communities and states. It’s a major economic development asset for us as we continue to attract business and industry as well as residents who want to make Dubois County home.”

As a leading remanufacturer of gas and diesel engines, transmissions, and differentials, and supplier of parts for their fleet vehicles, Jasper Engines relies on the Huntingburg Airport to support its 5 corporate aircraft to bring up to 2,500 customers annually to its plants in Jasper, fly employees to its headquarters for hands-on leadership and training seminars and send associates around the country for client meetings and professional growth opportunities.

“Just recently Jasper Engines used its corporate aircraft to transport nearly 100 associates and executives to Chicago for a meeting about our corporate ESOP . We were able to fly in and out of Chicago on the same day, saving costs on hotel rooms, meals, and lost work days. As you can see, through the use of corporate aircraft we enabled our people to do their job, spend quality time with their families that same evening, and be back in the office refreshed and fully operational the next morning. That’s simply impossible to do without the use of corporate aircraft.” – Doug Bawel, Chairman & CEO Jasper Engines and Transmissions

Additional study results include:

Indiana airports serve the transportation needs of more than 6.5 million Hoosiers

Indiana airports account for a total payroll of $4.1 billion. Of the total 69,149 jobs, approximately 30 percent exist at Indianapolis International Airport, another 23 percent exist at Indiana’s other three commercial airports, and the remaining 47 percent exist at Indiana’s 65 general aviation airports.

In addition to creating jobs in communities across the state, Indiana airports provide Hoosier communities with support for air cargo and logistics operations, emergency medical transportation, law enforcement/search-and-rescue efforts, aerial agricultural operations, flight training and education, land surveying and entertainment.

In total, Indiana’s 69 public-use airports, as part of the State’s Aviation System Plan, contribute $14.1 billion in economic output and create and sustain more than 69,000 jobs in Indiana.

The AAI and Conexus Indiana partnered with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to develop the 24-page report that outlines the economic benefits of Indiana’s airports to the State of Indiana, with specific details on how each airport, including the Huntingburg Airport impacts local municipalities and the state.

“The numbers once again tell the story about the positive impact of Indiana’s aviation industry,” said Kevin Brinegar, president and CEO of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. “That impact extends well beyond the commercial airports in the larger cities to the many general aviation facilities that provide timely service to local businesses and individuals throughout the state.”

The study was modeled after FAA-endorsed study methodologies to determine the economic impact of both on-airport and off-airport property businesses to the state’s economy. This includes the economic impact of businesses located on airport property, such as airlines and air traffic control, and airport users, including businesses that use airport services to support business functions.

The overall economic impact of airports to the state, however, includes more than direct contributions from on-airport and off-airport businesses. When businesses themselves or their employees spend money in the local community to purchase food, pay for childcare or entertainment, those dollars are also accounted for in the overall economic impact. The economic impact outlined in the 2012 report takes into consideration all direct, in-direct and residual economic impacts.

“These study results paint a clear picture of the value of Indiana’s airports not only to residents who rely on air travel for business and pleasure, but to the thousands of businesses that rely on airport services to move people and products,” said Bart Giesler, executive director of the Aviation Association of Indiana. “This backs our continued assertion that aviation investment by the state creates jobs in the private sector. Airports connect Hoosier businesses to their customers and this connection means jobs.”

These data were released on Tuesday, Nov. 13, by the Aviation Association of Indiana (AAI) and Conexus Indiana as part of the 2012 Indiana Airports Economic Impact Study. Both AAI and Conexus Indiana are statewide industry-focused organizations with a common goal of supporting Indiana’s airports and leveraging their impact on Indiana’s economy.

A full copy of the report can be found on the AAI website at www.aviationindiana.org or the Conexus Indiana website at www.conexusindiana.com.